Corus: The City of Dreams
by MarkyB
Summary: Mika has been forced to flee her home with her nephews to Corus where she will attend the Royal University. All she wants is peace but two mischief makers have very different plans to attain their beloved aunt's happiness.


Summer sunlight filtered through the long grasses surrounding a lone cottage shaded by tall trees. A dry wind rushed through them, creating a low rasping noise as the long stalks rubbed against one another. Crouched down, well hidden a soldier awaited his chance. His target lay just ahead, a lone red flag dancing merrily in the zephyr. However, enemies lay in wait between him and his target, he could _smell_ them. Slowly he began to crawl towards his target. A noise to his right caused him to freeze, no new noise sounded. He moved again but this time a form blocked out the sun as it pounced on him. Fists flew erratically before suddenly his enemy was pulled away and his was dragged to his feet and they faced the General.

"Damian! Jared! How many times must I tell you, if you insist on playing this game you must never hit one another!" Twin boys pouted petulantly at the "General", a young woman in her early twenties who looked exhausted.

"But Aunty, it isn't my fault! Jared jumped on me!" the soldier defended.

"It does not matter who jumped on whom, I henceforth ban this game for the rest of the day, you must play tag like normal children. I cannot…."

"Mika!" their aunt looked up to see an approaching figure on horseback and her face lost color.

"Ick, Herfiern came back again." Jared said with a twist of his mouth. He may be just nine but him and his brother knew the foul man was trying to coerce their beloved aunt into marrying him. Worse yet he was using them as reasoning.

"if only I did not completely agree…" She smiled at them both. "We will be leaving to Corus soon, remember we must keep it from the village."

"We know, we'll miss it here though." She merely nodded agreement as the dreaded suitor pulled his horse to a stop a few strides away from them.

"Herfiem, what an unexpected surprise. I was told you were in the next village over on business." Mika said with a cool smile.

"Ah, no work could keep me from you for long." He simpered whilst she tried to ignore the fact that the man had no chin. "Now about the subject I brought up at our last meeting…"

"Your answer has not changed." She interrupted while she pulled her charges' flag from the loose soil. "I refuse to marry you, ever."

"Do you really think you have an option? Lord Marten has already decided to bestow this land on another, your year mourning period is nearly ended. Do you think anyone in the village will take you in besides me?"

"Your methods of persuasion need work, sir, because all that sounded like to me was a threat." She glared up at him. "You will never gain power over me or my nephews. Leave. This property is mine until the end of the week and until that time expires you are forbidden from coming onto it."

His color changed rapidly but he could not argue Royal law. With a sneer her turned his mount and began to trot off. Being incapable of leaving with dignity he turned in his saddle and yelled; "You will regret this decision when everyone in the village turns the three of you away from their hospitality."

Mika waited until he was gone before she rubbed her eyes and sighed. "I will not rely on them."

Everything was already arranged in Corus. They would leave tomorrow that way no one would realize they were gone right away and come after them. Herfiem wasn't the only one that wanted their Gift. They would test at the university and she had already found them a good place to live if the man from the bank was to be trusted, she knew him only through correspondence. Still, even if he was cheating them she had plenty of money stashed to purchase other lodgings. The death of all her family had left her a large inheritance, alas she would take the family without a second thought. Instead she had been called back from a journey to the capitol in order to help her just widowed brother-in-law care for his twin sons. She had been more than happy to help her remaining family and then, seven years later her much loved brother took ill and despite her meager attempts at healing passed away shortly after. Leaving her with two eight year old boys and a year to mourn before she had to get off the land owned by the estate's lord.

Sometimes she cursed her luck. Mika let a sigh out before straightening, It was as the Goddess wished it. Jared and Damian met her at the door, looking concerned. She leaned down and hugged them both closely.

"Aunty we are all ready to go, we put our things in the wagon." The boys exchanged a look over their aunt's back before Jared began to speak again. "It's our fault we have to leave isn't it?"

Mika straightened and looked at them blankly for a long moment before shaking her head. "No, it isn't. All three of us have the Gift, strongly at that, people like Herfiem always want power that is not their own."

The boys did not argue with their aunt, they knew she was right, their dad had told them the same thing on enough occasions. Still, sometimes when their aunt thought they weren't looking they could see how sad and overwhelmed she was. They knew she wanted what was best for them and would kill to make sure they were happy but their nine year old hearts knew that she needed someone to be able to do the same for her. Plans were already in motion to find her a husband in Corus.

Mika looked into the too innocent expressions on her nephews faces and sighed in resignation, sometimes it was best not to know with these two. "Alright, off to bed with you both. We have an early start and a long journey tomorrow."

When they both obeyed without arguing Mika nearly fell over in shock, watching as they crawled into their blankets that lay on the hard packed earthen floor, their beds were packed away already. She waited until they were asleep for joining them, kissing them each on the forehead with a whispered endearment before she let herself fall into a light slumber.  
Tomorrow was going to a long day.


End file.
